Applicator stick



June 6, 1950 AGER APPLICATOR STICK Filed Sepia 5. 1947 I N VEN TOR. wazazwjv .4521? Patented June 6, 1950 FUNIFTEDV STATES PATENT oFF cE Solomon Ager, Bronx, N. Y.

Application September 5, 1947, Serial No. 772,320

1 Claim.

This invention relates to applicator sticks used in surgical treatments of the body.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an applicator stick which can be broken to form two separate applicator sticks by a clean break of the same at a weakened section of the stick and at the middle of the original applicator stick and wherein there will be provided, adjacent said weakened section, indentations, barbs or projections for the purpose of maintaining upon the stick a pledget of cotton which may be wound upon the same and which will prevent the removal of the cotton upon the end of the stick while the stick is being used in the treatment of the body.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a separable applicator stick which can be divided into two sticks without the same being split at the break ends, which is of simple construction, inexpensive to manufacture and convenient to use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a perspective view of my applicator stick part which has been severed,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken generally on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, V

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one stick having a knurled formation thereon to retain the cotton,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the end of the stick on which barbs are formed to retain cotton,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a stick end which has been formed by cutting the surface of the stick,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of the single applicator stick from which the two divided sticks are made, with the weakened portion being in the middle and with the roughened portion lying adjacent to the weakened section and adapted to receive cotton,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary and enlarged view of the middle of the initial stick and looking upon the weakened section thereof.

Referring now to the figures and more particularly to Figs. 6 and '7, there is shown a single applicator stick I0 from which separate sticks may be made by bending as illustrated on dotted lines in Fig. 6 so that the stick will break in the region of its weakened portion II to form separate sticks I2. Adjacent to the weakened section II are roughened portions l3 about which cotton can be extended and retained as the stick is used. The section II can be formed by rolling or cutting a groove into the applicator stick at the middle of the same. Accordingly, when the stick is bent, it will break at the weakened section II and this break will be clean and free of loosened splinters. The outer ends of the stick will also have a roughened portion l3 so that the cotton as indicated at M can be connected at either end of the stick ID or at either end of a divided stick 12.

The usual stick is smooth at its end and does not retain very well the pledget of cotton. Even though the stick is made of wood and has a tendency to be somewhat rough it does not fully or adequately retain the cotton on the stick. The roughened portion l3 can be formed in different ways as by crushing to splinter the wood at its surface so as to provide notches or indentations therein, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The surface of the stick will be splintered to some extent so as to catch the fine fibers of the cotton.

The stick may be knurled as shown in Fig. 3 so as to provide diagonally extending notches i5 over the surface and raised portions IS. The cotton will fill the diagonal notches l5 and will be restrained thereon by abutment with the raised portions [6.

If desired the portion l3 can be formed by barbing the end of the stick to provide barbs l1 thereon, arranged in circular rows with the barbs of alternate rows offset respectively with the barbs of the rows therebetween. The barbs will accordingly be staggered with respect to one another throughout the length of the portion.

If the user of the stick does not require for his operation the full applicator stick l0 and can use a shorter stick or desires to be economical in the use of the sticks because of a shortage of supply, the usual applicator stick [0 can be broken in two at the weakened section II and two applicator sticks will be formed. Each of the two applicator sticks will have roughened portions at both ends of the stick. The only difference between the divided stick and the original stick is, that it is shorter.

The projections may consist of one or various combinations of the above or together with any other geometrical shapes and designs.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

An applicator stick having rough portions at the opposite ends of the same to retain cotton thereon against slippage, a weakened section intermediate the length of the stick to permit a clean break of the stick in two and to provide two applicator sticks, and roughened port-ions adjacent the weakened section and at opposite sides 4 thereof whereby to provide sticks when the break has been made with roughened portions at the opposite ends of the same.

SOLOMON AGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 566,570 Frick 1 Aug. 25, 1896 1,051,129 Lapham Jan. 21, 1913 1,537,257 Mizner May 12, 1925 15 2,261,058 Forbis Oct. 28, 1941 

